Sulfide emissions from different areas of a municipal solid waste landfill in China

• Sulfide emission from different areas of a Chinese landfill generation was investigated.
• Dimethyl disulfide dominated the sulfide compounds released from landfill surfaces.
• Diethyl sulfide was the most significant sulfide compound from perspective of threshold.
• Emission rate of dimethyl disulfide of operating surface was estimated at up to 345.9 μg/m3 h.
• Dimethyl disulfide could be released from the fresh waste at operating area.

Degradation of municipal solid waste in landfills generates sulfide compounds, which are considered one of the main sources of odor emissions. Field sampling was conducted at surfaces of operating, inoperative, and soil-covered areas of a landfill site in northern China to characterize the sulfide compounds. The results showed that dimethyl disulfide dominated the sulfide compounds, accounting for up to 73.6% of the total detected sulfide. With the biggest odor concentration of 365, diethyl sulfide was the most significant sulfide compound. The estimated sulfide emission rates at surfaces of operating and soil-covered areas were similar, and the emission rate of dimethyl disulfide at Surface of Operating Area was up to 345.9 μg/m3 h. Dimethyl disulfide could be released from the fresh waste, and its normalized concentration at 0.2 m beneath operating surface was 10.4 times that at 0.4 m.